Since the invention of indoor plumbing the desire to have heated water on tap has existed. Before the invention of hot water heaters water would need to be pumped into a large vessel, such as a pot or kettle then heated.

It could then be used for cleaning, washing, bathing or any other task where hot water was preferable. Despite how common they are in households these days hot water tanks still aren’t found everywhere.

Some European cities and countries commonly use a shared network of hot water and steam, totally negating their need for in home hot water heating and storage. In undeveloped countries where they don’t have plumbing, they mostly still heat water that same old fashioned way that we did.

Today hot water tanks come in a variety of sizes. The sizes can vary depending on the size of the home it is going into. Typically apartments will use half size hot water tanks and homes will use larger full sized ones and in some larger homes or homes where the tap is far away from the hot water tank, they may require more than one.

Hot water tanks can be heated usually two different ways. The most common is electric, and these work by having two large elements that fit into the side of the tank that get hot and heat the water.

It’s not uncommon for an element to burn out or stop working after a couple years of use in an electric hot water tank. The users will notice hot water tank problems right away when the water does not get as hot or last as long as it did before.

The other method used is with gas. A large burner automatically ignites and then extinguishes itself once the hot water is heated. This system can be a much more reliable design as there are no elements to burn out.

One important thing to watch out for is excess carbon monoxide in the areas where the tank is located, but typically if gas is plumbed to the home already there should already be carbon monoxide detectors in place.